Reviews of books for children and teens.
Review by Annalise Fisher
In the novel Refraction,by Naomi Hughes, teenage Marty Callahan is forced to take desperate measures to save himself from an apocalypse, and discovers that there is more to the end of the world than just self-preservation and survival. … More Refraction by Naomi Hughes
Review by Lauren Hathaway
Picture books that feature intergenerational relationships can be surprisingly hard to come by. Maud and Grand-Maud not only helps fill this gap in the market, but it also honors the special bonds that some children share with their grandparents. … More Maud and Grand-Maud by Sara O’Leary, Illustrated by Kenard Pak
Review by Deborah Vail
When Kyle Baker’s father tells him that his mother is having an affair, Kyle’s world begins to fall apart. He’s just committed to his girlfriend and confessed his love for her, but his understanding of commitment and loyalty are based on his parents’ love story. … More Goodbye from Nowhere by Sara Zarr
Review by Jocelyne Gregory
Monsters. They’re everywhere. They wear disguises, hide in plain sight, and—according to Cale Atkinson’s Monsters 101—there’s a one in three chance that your home might have a monster hiding under a bed. But that doesn’t mean they’re bad or scary. … More Monster 101 by Cale Atkinson
Review by Logaine Navascués
How to draw something that feels invisible? Cécile Metzger’s light and airy watercolour illustrations for The Invisible Bear manage to do just that: engulf the reader in invisible feelings and emotions, which are materialized through tender images. … More The Invisible Bear, by Cécile Metzger
Review by Jieun Lee
Uzma Jalaluddin’s debut novel, Ayesha at Last, is a New Adult reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that explores prejudice and racial discrimination in Toronto. Twenty-seven-year-old Ayesha is a new substitute teacher for a classroom full of preteen terrors, but secretly writes and performs poetry at a local lounge. … More Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Review by Jocelyne Gregory
When bakers fight, it’s the public that wins… at least that is what happens on Sweet Street. Caroline Adderson’s It Happened on Sweet Street takes place on a quiet cul-de-sac where Monsieur “creator of cakes” Oliphant, Mademoiselle “cookie concocter” Fée, and Madame “ baker of pies” Clotilde compete against each other in baking contests. … More It Happened on Sweet Street by Caroline Adderson, Illus. by Stéphane Jorisch
Review by Lauren Hathaway
Life can be rather boring when you’re a lightbulb in a dark closet. At least it is for Ray, who passes most of his time in dreamless sleep, waiting to be turned on. … More Ray by Marianna Coppo
Review by Britt Runeckles
What does your hair mean to you? To your identity? Hot Comb,by Ebony Flowers, is a collection of raw short stories about black women who face adversity and demonstrate strength, in a world where they are frequently tokenized, rather than accepted. … More Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers
Review by Jieun Lee
Nineteen-year-old Pablo Neruda Rind’s life is a complete and utter mess. He’s up over his eyebrows in student debt from a college degree he didn’t finish, and he’s stuck working a graveyard shift at a bodega—err, health food store—while his friends are all getting their lives together and starting real jobs. … More Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi
